1) They have recently taken on new responsibilities, but carry on doing their old job

When someone is promoted, it’s important for the organisation that they get up to speed as quickly as possible. There isn’t always the time for people to learn the new job before other people start expecting to see results. Many managers in this situation respond by continuing to do their old job (only in a more bossy way) or failing to delegate, which means their direct reports don’t start to develop the ability to assist their manager. This doesn’t help anyone. These people are good candidates for coaching and are almost always receptive to it.

2) They have issues with communication skills

‘Communication skills’ covers a huge spectrum of development needs – they might be sending one-line abrupt emails, belittling people, having difficulties with a colleague, avoiding confrontation,  not speaking up in meetings and so on. Executive coaching can help them to be more empathetic and consider the impact their communication style is having on others. Depending on the person, they may respond well in a workshop or if your organisation is status-orientated they might prefer to work on this in the privacy of an executive coaching session instead.

3) They need to improve their leadership skills

There are so many books, courses and resources available on leadership. They all add value and give people the information they need to be a good leader. It’s the application of that information which makes a difference in the long-term. Executive coaching helps people to apply the knowledge they have and turn it into something practical. It also gives them the space to practice these new skills before trying them out ‘live’ on their staff and helps boost their confidence. Position it to them that they’ll be able to do this in private and they are likely to be receptive.

4) They have started to deliver work at the last minute or late

When an otherwise organised person starts struggling to meet deadlines it can indicate that they are having challenges saying ‘no’, delegating, or something else is bothering them. While they might think the last thing they need is to work with a coach because it eats into their day, the benefits to them can be huge. Executive coaching sessions don’t need to take long – they can be half an hour on the phone. They may need a little coaxing and convincing to take time out, but it will be worth it.

5) They ask for it!

Yes, this might appear obvious, but it can sometimes be overlooked when someone is already doing well in their job. They might be able to keep up appearances now but know that they need support with something in order to continue to perform. Whether they are asking for presentation skills coaching, conflict management coaching, time management coaching or any other type of coaching if you can respond quickly, they will be very grateful. Executive coaching doesn’t have to be a long-term support. Many of our clients find that one or two sessions is all they need to work on achieving a specific outcome.

While some of the above examples might appear to focus on coaching being used to ‘fix’ a problem, it’s important to position coaching as something positive – which it is. Depending on the culture of your organisation, changing the terminology might convince an otherwise sceptical person to accept help. We know they are going to be coached, but they might respond better to it being pitched as ‘one to one training’, ‘mentoring support’ or ‘leadership development’. Just make sure the coach you choose can cover this as well.

Hannah McNamara is the managing director of HRM Coaching Ltd. She is a former head of marketing and a Chartered Marketer. HRM Coaching specialise in providing down-to-earth, jargon-free coaching and development for senior executives and managers. Hannah and her team work internationally and can be contacted on +44 (0)20 7939 9910 or via www.hrmcoaching.com

This article on executive coaching originally appeared in Training Journal

Are certain people making life difficult for other people at work? SME Academy offers a solution.

Problem behaviour at work affects everyone. It affects the people on the receiving end and it also affects those who are bullying and argumentative in the first place.

But how do you deal with it?

The first step is to take a pro-active stance, take command and control it in a positive way. It used to be that punishment was the only way forward and indeed some form of disciplinary action may be required. But prevention and support should also be provided, along with a strong and positive management style that will go a long way towards preventing such occurrences happening in the future.

Both coaching and mentoring have led to positive changes in such individuals, as they are offered practical and supportive solutions to change the behaviour that has so affected them and their colleagues. While it will take time to get back to a workplace which is more positive in nature, if you can provide leadership that everyone looks to for advice and support you will be setting the stage for that to gradually evolve.

It can be a tricky balance to present a face of management that is both firm yet supportive in the right ways, but it is vital to do so. You should also keep a close eye on how things are progressing and be prepared to meet with members of staff who have concerns or issues about any kind of detrimental behaviour they are experiencing at work.

Many businesses are now turning to neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to produce better results over both the short and the long term. NLP is designed to help you understand the behaviours of others from both audio and visual signs, and can therefore help in two ways. Firstly the offending member of staff will learn how their behaviour affects others in a detrimental way, and secondly they will also learn how to make positive changes that will help to eradicate the problem behaviour altogether.

As far as your role as a manager is concerned it is vital to ensure that you learn to identify problem behaviour as soon as it arises, rather than finding out about it from staff members. By providing a hands on management style you can learn more about how your team works and thus get to know your team a lot better than perhaps you do now.

By looking at long term solutions to problem behaviour rather than quick fixes, you will find that your team works in a more harmonious way as a result.

SME Academy offers a range of Coaching and Mentoring packages that can be adapted to your needs. Call us on 020 7939 9910 or click here for more information about coaching

© Copyright Hannah McNamara 2010

SME Academy in London offers all three services which are explained below.

The terms small business coach or business mentor are often used interchangeably within the business world, but what do people really mean when they talk about small business coaching or business mentoring? And how are they different from executive coaching or life coaching?

Countless articles and text books tell you that mentors use coaching skills and that coaches can act as a mentor – not much help is it?

The reason for this is it is actually very difficult when you’re a business coach or mentor NOT to utilise both techniques because when you’re working with a client on building their business you often have to be a supporter or coach, an experienced guide or mentor and also to provide one on one training in business skills and soft skills such as leadership skills, communication skills or negotiation skills.

The best business coaches are able to help you to:

• think strategically and so can assist with business planning and strategy
• work out how to increase business through offering guidance on sales and marketing techniques
• be a better manager or leader by helping you with communication skills, dealing with difficult people, confidence and assertiveness
• manage your stress levels through more effective time management, delegation and giving you back a sense of work/life balance

However, not all business coaching organisations can offer this in one person and if you go to a specialist life coach they might be able to help you with the soft skills and life planning aspects but won’t be able to offer you guidance on building your business because they typically use what’s called a ‘non-directive’ approach, i.e. they won’t offer advice or suggestions but help you to draw the answers out from within yourself (assuming of course that at some level you DO know the answer!).

So as a potential user of small business coaching or business mentoring services how on earth do you find a suitable coach?

Ask around and be prepared to devote some time to talking to a few suitable business coaches. Don’t just ‘jump into bed’ with the first person you speak to (unless they meet all of your criteria) and have an initial discussion with them to work out if the two of you can work together.

At SME Academy we always offer a free initial consultation either by phone or in person to talk about your needs and then we recommend the person on our team who fits your requirements. On-going packages of coaching time are then arranged with you as required. You can view a sample of the standard packages available at www.smeacademy.co.uk/courses/business-coaching-mentoring/

To arrange a free no-obligation consultation please call Hannah McNamara at SME Academy on 020 7939 9910 or +44 20 7939 9910 or contact us via our contact page.

SME Academy is based in central London (SE1) close to London Bridge station and Borough station which is a short walk across the bridge from the City of London and Bank/Monument stations.

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